The .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire arrived in 2002 as the .22 WMR case necked down to .17 calibre, and it changed rimfire pest shooting overnight. A 17 grain V-Max at 2,550 fps shoots flat to 150 metres, roughly doubling the practical range of a .22 LR, with almost no recoil and a mild report.
It is a rabbit and hare specialist and a legitimate fox cartridge with the 17 or 20 grain loads inside 120 metres and good shot placement. The frangible projectile is explosive on small pests and safer than a centrefire on properties with houses, stock or roads nearby. Its weakness is wind: the light projectile drifts badly past 100 metres, and it lacks the weight for anything larger than a fox.
.17 HMR uses the same bolt face and magazine footprint as .22 WMR, so most rifles are offered in both, but the two are not interchangeable and neither will chamber .22 LR. Ammunition costs more than .22 LR but far less than any centrefire.
We stock .17 HMR rifles from Tikka, Sako and other leading brands, hold Hornady, CCI and Winchester ammunition in depth, and carry magazines and optics suited to rimfire ranges. Firearms are shipped Australia-wide to your nominated dealer.
